Met police under fire for seizing rough sleepers' possessions

Police criticised for action in Ilford, which politicians and aid groups say leaves vulnerable people without shelter and food

Darren Johnson, London Assembly member for Green party, said: 'We need to offer rough sleepers support and social housing, not persecution.' Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian Martin Argles/Guardian

Politicians and aid groups have criticised the Metropolitan police for seizing the possessions of homeless people and leaving them without shelter and food.

Police, in answer to the criticism from many quarters, said they were simply carrying out a policy of reducing the impact of rough sleepers on the community. However, Darren Johnson, the local London Assembly member, said their actions were unacceptable and were putting vulnerable people at risk.

Adam Jaskowiak told the Ilford Recorder how he was sleeping with eight others in the former Ilford baths in east London when police officers arrived and took their belongings, including sleeping bags, and put them in a police car.

Jaskowiak, 34, said: "They were just taking the sleeping bags and chucking out everything. I asked to keep it and the food, but they said no. I just grabbed as many of my things as possible and put them into a bag and ran."

He was given the sleeping bag by the Salvation Army in Ilford to keep him warm over winter. John Clifton, 26, corps officer at the Salvation Army, told the Recorder: "I'm shocked and disgusted. Why would you take the only form of shelter someone has from them? We have tried to find out why they were taken and if we can get them back."

Ilford chief inspector John Fish told the newspaper: "The public rely on police to reduce the negative impact of rough sleepers. This includes the need for us to assist in the removal of temporary structures, tents, and bedding from public spaces and other inappropriate locations."

Johnson said he would be contacting police and the mayor of London to ensure similar confiscations do not take place. "The police's actions were wholly unacceptable, putting vulnerable people at greater risk of harm. We need to offer rough sleepers support and social housing, not persecution.

"I will be writing to the borough commander, urging her to stop any similar actions immediately. I will also raise the matter with the mayor of London, urging him to ensure that the police across London are working closely with homelessness services, and to massively increase the amount of social housing in London."

Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis, said the number of people sleeping on the streets in London had increased since 2008. "Due to the pressures of the economic downturn and cuts, particularly to housing benefit, rough sleeping in London has risen by 43%. Almost 6,000 people slept on the streets of the capital at some point last year," she said.

"Though we don't know all the details of what happened in Ilford, it is hard to see how removing food and sleeping bags from rough sleepers is going to help anyone. What homeless people really need is access to services and support to help them break the cycle of homelessness – something all the more vital at a time of rising homelessness."